Part 7b (second of two sections) from a discussion guide, Density in a City of Neighbourhoods – my perspective of a journey from the earliest years of land-abundant settlement to the towering glass city of 2012 – written for Carbon Talks at SFU.
At this point, the discussion paper gets in to some of the conclusions I draw from Vancouver’s experience:
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Even as the rate of change slowed down, people’s awareness of change increased. In fact, small alterations stood out even more. Concerned that small might lead to large, resident anxiety also increased.
To deal with change within existing neighbourhoods and to plan for the future, the City undertook CityPlan in the early 1990s – a process by which each neighbourhood would consider prospects and options for the future.
Rarely, however, does a stable neighbourhood embrace a fundamental change in its character. In the past it was imposed, as happened in the 1950s. Today, the premise of any neighbourhood plan begins with identification of valued qualities and the preservation of community. Growth, ideally, will be gradually accommodated. Perversely, if measured in people and not in floorspace, the rate of growth might actually fall even as dwelling units increase in size or rooming houses are refurbished.
Whether high-density, medium, or low, from the West End to Grandview to Sunset, communities that are working well for their residents, with sufficient amenities for the existing population, do not necessarily see the need for change, especially when the accommodation of additional growth initially benefits the outsider, particularly the developer.
So the dilemma remains: can incremental change acceptable to a community accommodate actual growth? And if not, how might the pressure manifest itself in unexpected ways – notably in the cost of land and existing housing?
By mid-decade, as part of a strategy called “EcoDensity – reinforcing the environmental connection with the compact city – Vancouver aimed for density that was invisible, hidden or gentle, while still meeting the challenges of both growth and environment. Hence the legalization of secondary suites across the city, the introduction of lane houses, encouragement of housing along arterials and frequent-transit routes.
Part 3: The Beginning of Densification
Part 4(a): The Modern Era – Transition
Part 4(b): The Modern Era – A Decade of Highrises
Part 6: Condos and Megaprojects
Part 7(a): Vancouver’s Greenest City Goals
Density in a City of Neighbourhoods (full document)
